Valve for garment-pressing machines



Aug. so, 19271 1,641,132

F. E. BAKER' VALVE FOR GARMENT PRESSING MACHINES Filed April v23. 1925)4f/Tl IIS#A mul! b I l., ,A y #rra/wv vs 45 of steam and moisture fromthe Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT I OFFICE.

rmx E'. B AKEE, or sYaAoUsE, NEW Yonir, AssiGNon'ro cHAriN-sxELroNconronivriom oE sYEAcUsE, NEW vom; A conroEarIoN or NEW Yonex.

VALVE IOR GABM-ENT-PBESSING MACHINES.

Application mea April as, 192g. serial No. 25,258.

This invention relates to a garment pressiiig machine of the kind setforth in my pending application No. 754,630 filed Dec. 8, 1924, in thatit refers more particularly to the use of a single valve for'controllingthe supply and withdrawal of steam and moisture to and from the garmentimmediately preceding and following the pressin operation and while thegarment is sti in the machine.

These machines are used more extensively by tailors, drycleaners,clothing manufacturers and launderers for cleaning sterilizing andshaping various articles o wearing 16 apparel which are usually broughttothe machine in a dry condition and the common practice is to rstapplya suicient amount of moisture preferab y steam to thegarinent in themachine for sterilizing and cleaiiin A20 purposes and also to render thegarment su chine, all o which has the desirable effect of fixing theshape of the garment and greatly increasing the output ofthe workVaccomplished by a single machine and at the same ltime permits thegarments to be stacked as in the manufacture of clothing;A withoutvliability of mouldingz or, the .garment may be put on and wornimmediately following the pressing operation.

In the steam and moisture removing device heretofore employed it hasbeen necessary to'use'two or more valves, one for control g theapplication of steam to the garment and another for effecting awithdrawal rment and the maiii'obect of my present invention is toaccomplis both these results throu h the Aoperation of a single valvebut in-a di erent manner than that-set forth in my pending ap licationabove referred to.

or exam le, in the pending ap lication referred to t ese two eects are puced by the operation of asingle slide valve, which,`

the

kind set forth in my While highly escient in acbmplishing desiredresults applicant has found that a poppet valve constructed in themanner Ashown 1n the present apiplication is more elfcient, particularlyin re ucing the liability of leak ages of steam and'tl'ie specificobject of this invention is to provide a poppetvalve constructionadjustable to one position for suppllyl'ing the steam-to the arment andto anot er position for with rawing the steam vfrom the garment thuspermitting the single steam inlet to the valve to function for bothpurposes.

Other objects and uses relating specific parts of the device will'bebrought out in the i llowing description.

In the drawings:

Figure lis a side elevation of a device for suppl ing and withdrawingsteam moisture to an from one of the pressing elements, in

this instance, the buck, shown 'in section.

. Figures 2, 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views taken on line 2 2,Figure 1, showing the valve inl different sitions for cutting oi thesteam supply an exhaust to and from' the garment as in Figure2, foradmitting steam to the arment and. cutting oi the exhaust as in igure 3and for cutting oil the steam supply lto the garment and opening4 theexhaust as in Figure 4.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken on line5-5, Figure 1. i

In order that the operation of my'inven tion -may be clearly understoodI have shown the lower pressing element "or buck -A- of a garmentpressin machine of the pen ing application Serial No. 25,259, filedApril 23, 1925, said v buck bein provided with a steam chamber lbforeating purposes and with a separate distributing chamber -a-4 opemngthru restricted passages -a throughthe top of the buck for supplyingsteam to the garment which is su ported upon `the upper face 'of the bucduring the pressing operation.

' The heating chamber -i-a-and distribut nected-by separate pipes -1-and 2+ tov steam supply and forms a connecting passage between thesupply pipe 4e and pipe -lleading to the heating chamber -aformaintaining a continuous supply of live steam to said chamber forheating the buck and also affords a means for supplying steam lo thedistributing chamber -ain a manner presently described.

The valve chamber -3-- is also provided with a valve chamber -5- havinga. reduced extension --5- adapted to receive a valve -t$- having anenlarged head -6 movable in the larger portion of the chamber ii-- andreduced portion 6 in the reduced extension -5--. said valve beingslidable cndwise in the chamber -Sw and is provided with a stem- 71-extending axially through a gland --S t'or connection with a suitableoperating member 7-' Figure l, in one end of the valve case #f3-1 Theopposite end ot' said valve chamber is provided with an exhaust port -9-connected to a waste pipe 10- for carrying away the steam and moisturewhich may be exhausted from the garment and also trom the buck a in amanner presently described.

The valve case -3- is also provided with an annular steam chamber 1lsurrounding the reduced portion of the valve G and communicating withthe ort -1 and, therefore, in open communication with the source ofsteam supply thru the pipe .-4-- and in open communication with theheating chamber f-a" thru the pipe -1-.

The annular steam chamber 11- is con nected to the enlarged portion ofthe valve chamber 5 through restricted passages -1Q- which are normallyclosed by the enlarged portion t6' of the valve 6M as shown in Figure lto prevent the passage of steam into the valve chamber when the valve is`in its normally closed position and to permit the passage of steam fromsaid annular chamber -ellto the valve chamber when the valve f3-- isopened to either of the positions shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The reduced portion -6-- of the valve *t3- is provided with a peripheralgroove or steam passage ui3 extending from the inner iace of theenlarged portion 6'- of the valve toward the outlet port -9- a distancesomewhat greater than the distance between the port -2- and enlargedportion of the valve chamber mp5- so that when the valve is slightlyopened from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown inFigure 3, the passage -1`3- will still retain communication with theport 2' for connecting said port to the chamber -5 and thereby to allowsteam to pass from said chamber to the distributing chamber through thepipe -2-, said passage w13- terminating in an annular groove -13 in theperiphery of the reduced portion -6- to produce more or less of a steampressure balance around the valve particularly when the valve isadjusted to the position shown in Figure 3.

The end -14 of the valve farthest from the stem -7- is further reducedin diameter and is provided with a central lengthwise passage -15-extending axially toward the enlarged end --6- and provided at its innerend with a branch radial passage -l5- opening through the periphery otthe reduced portion --6- at a point between the opposite ends of thelengthwise passage -l3- for connecting the passage -15 to the chamber--5- when the valve is opened to the position shown in Figure 3 at whichtime the valve will have closed comninnication between the passage 13and port -2- and will have open communication between the chamber 5- andexhaust port -9- to allow the steam to pass through the branch -landthence through the central passage wl5-- into the waster pipe --10 fordrawing the moisture and steam away from the garment and distributingchamber --athru the pipe 2 and port -2.

In other words, the reduced portion ot' the valve with the passages -15-and 152- therein constitutes what may be termed an injector nozzlecooperating with the port EZ- when the valve is full open for directingsteam from the chamber -5 through the nozzle and into the waster pipew10 for creating suction in the port -2- and thereby exhausting thesteam and moisture from the distributing chamber -cL- of the buck andgarment resting thereon thru the pipe -2- and discharging such steam andmoisture thru the port -2- and thence into the waste pipe 10 when thevalve is adjusted to its full open position as shown in Figure 4.

The valvehas three positions of adjustment, a closed position as shownin Fieure 2, a partially open position as shown in T igure 3 foradmitting steam to the garment lll() and a full open position as shownin Figv ure 4 for withdrawing steam from the garment.

O parution.

Assuming that the pipe l is connected to the source of steam supply thenunder all adjustments of the valve, the steam will pass directly thruthe pipe -1-- to the heating chamber -wforheating the buck A- andinasmuch as the annular chamber ranged about the axis of the valve -6-and terminate at the seatfor the enlarged end -6- of the valve.

It, therefore,'follows lthat when the valve is closed as shown in Figure2 it will close the restricted. passages .---12- and thereby cut offcommunication between the annular passage -11-y and chamber -5- therebyY preventing the passage of steam thru the passage I3- .to thedistributing chamber of the buck thru the' port-Z- and pipe Now, if, inpressing a garmenton the buck it is desired to appl steam to saidgarment for moistening an sterilizing purposes the valve -6- will bepartially o cned to the position shown in Figure 3 t ereby lwithdrawingthe enlar ed portion 6 from its seat to open t e passages ments are intheir pressing positions upon the garment and th the partial opening ofthe valve for supplying the moisture tothe garment is only for aninstant depending somewhat upon the quality of the fabric.

`Immediately following this steaming and pressing operation the valvemay be further opened to the position shown m- Figure 4' or from aposition at the exhaust side of the port -2- to a position at theopposite side thereby'cutting ofi' communication between the port -2-and passage 13 and still maintaining communication between the chambers11 and -5 thru the restricted passages 12 at the Dsame time registeringthe branch passage 15-'"with the chamber -5- for permitting the `steamto pass from said chamber thru the branch assagel 15g-.-

of the nozzle '-14.- into -t eiwas'te pipe -5- and beyond the vport,-12-.

In this full open position of the valve the escape of the live steamthru the passage l5-4 into the waste vpipe' -10- produces a high degreeof suction in the port -2,

ipe -2- and distributing chamber -aor withdrawing the steam from saiddistributing chamber and from the previously moistened arment which thenrests upon the upper ace ofthe buck thereby eecting a quick and com letedrying of the garment so that it may se put on and worn immediatelyfollowin the steaming and pressing ,operation or if t e machine used forpressing clthes in a clothing manufacturing concern the clothes may bestacked' in the usual lnanner without liability of molding or wrinkling,it being understoodl that this high dei gree of suction causes anialmost instantaneous drying of the garment which in turn produces a moreeffective setting and permav nency of the shape produced bythe Ipressingelements when removed from the. machine following the steam, pressingand drying operationsg'all of which are practically instantaneous andgreatly increases the outputv of the machineV 1n addition to the reatlyincreased eiliciency in its work upon t e garment. i

`What I claim is: y

In a valve mechanism; a v alve case having a steam chamber provided withan inlet port,' an exhaust port a-nd an additional port,`

means for supplying steam to. the steam chamber through the inlet portand an ejector nozzle movable inthe valve case and projecting 'into theexhaust'portacfross the adjacent port, said nozzle having means when inone position for closing the .inlet ort and with ladditional means'when'adusted to another position for connecting the lnlet port to theadditional port Aand simultaneously cutting oifl communication betweenthe inlet port and the exhaust ort, said nozzle bein l adjustable toaithir .position and provide with means when in that position forreceiving steam from the inlet port and discharging 1t through theexhaust port past the additional port and with additional meansforopening communication between said additional rt and the exhaustport.

'Inwitness w ereof' I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April,1925'.

' FRANK- E. BAKER.

